Administrative Core TUFCCC: Grace X. Ma, PhD (Contact PI) and Jean-Pierre Issa, MD (MPI) HC: Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD (Contact PI) and Joel Erblich, PhD, MPH (MPI) The Administrative Core of the proposed TUFCCC/HC Regional Comprehensive Cancer Health Disparity Partnership (TUFCCC/HC Cancer Partnership) builds on an established effective leadership and governance infrastructure. The overall goal of the Core is to provide administrative, scientific, and programmatic oversight and monitoring of research projects, outreach, education, and career development activities that address cancer health disparities in underserved African-, Hispanic-, and Asian Pacific-American communities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City (PNN) region. The Administrative Core's functions include, but are not limited to, providing leadership, oversight, fiscal management, timely coordination, and communication to support the Partnership's day-to-day operations. The Core will be tasked to ensure the efficient, effective, and synergistic performance and high-quality standards of excellence in the proposed Partnership's aims and objectives for cores, pilot/full projects, and shared resources. For consistent operation and governance, the Administrative Core of both TUFCCC and HC shares the same specific aims, defined as follows:
Aim 1. Strengthen and maintain an effective leadership governance infrastructure to provide overall administrative support and fiscal management to Planning and Evaluation Core, Research Education Core, Community Outreach Core, 2 full projects, 1 pilot project, and Shared Resources across the TUFCCC/HC Partnership.
Aim 2. Facilitate regular communication and coordination of activities of the Executive Committee (MPIs), Scientific Integration Leadership Committee (co-leaders of projects/cores), Internal Advisory Committee, and Program Steering Committee.
Aim 3. Facilitate the integration of cores, projects, shared resources, as well as inter-institutional initiatives of the Partnership.
Aim 4. Provide administrative and programmatic oversight to the Planning and Evaluation Core to ensure a consistent and rigorous evaluation across all cores and projects of the Partnership. TUFCCC/HC Cancer Partnership has strong support and commitments from institutional leaders at both sites. In addition, the leadership of the Administrative Core has been well established and integrated during the Planning Phase and will continue to be jointly led by experienced multidisciplinary cancer research leaders: (1) Dr. Grace Ma (Contact PI) and Dr. Jean-Pierre Issa (MPI) for TUFCCC; and (2) Dr. Olorunseun Ogunwobi (Contact PI) and Dr. Joel Erblich (MPI) for Hunter College. The Administrative Core's joint leadership teams, including PIs and key staff members, have established a cohesive working relationship and infrastructure, and have conducted weekly and biweekly planning meetings to discuss priorities, implementation, and expected outcomes. As a result, the Partnership leadership team demonstrated not only synergistic accomplishments during the planning phase, but also strong long-term commitments to the shared vision and mission of advancing cancer equity among the underserved minority cancer disparity populations.
Administrative Core Despite advances in early detection and treatment of cancer, significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in both cancer incidence and mortality, with African, Asian-Pacific, and Hispanic Americans bearing the disproportionate burden. The Administrative Core for the proposed TUFCCC/HC Regional Comprehensive Cancer Health Disparity Partnership builds on an established effective leadership and governance infrastructure to provide administrative, scientific and programmatic oversight and monitoring to ensure that the goals and aims of the proposed U54 Partnership are achieved. The development of the strategic Partnership between the two outstanding institutions has the greatest potential to combat cancer health disparities and advance cancer equity among the major underserved ethnic minority populations in the PA-NJ-NYC (PNN) region of the U.S.
